Counselling Practice Diploma Level 4

Course Overview

The Level 4 AIM award Diploma in Counselling Practice is for those wishing to achieve professional status in counselling. This qualification enables learners to embark on counselling practice working within an ethical framework such as BACP or NCS. The placement requirement in this qualification is essential to the personal and professional development of the practitioner.

This qualification comprises of three mandatory units (Counselling Theory, Counselling Theory: a chosen approach and Study of Supervised Practice) and four optional units that provide an opportunity to deepen an understanding of theoretical perspectives within an integrative framework.

Our chosen approach is Integrative and our core theoretical model is Petruska Clarkson's Systems Integrative Psychotherapy. The four optional units we currently deliver are:

• Working with Addictive Behaviour
• Working with Children and Young People
• Working with Trauma
• Transactional Analysis

These units will be delivered as lectures, tutorials and experiential activities. You will also participate in personal development groups within the course programme. There may be a weekend residential.

You will learn about:

• Professional ethics and boundaries
• The complexities of the therapeutic relationship 
• Self-critical and self-evaluative skills
• Developing supervision skills
• Understanding the effectiveness of supervision
• Developing an understanding of different theoretical approaches

Placement requirements:

• Students will be in placement with an agency where they will have to complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised counselling practice
• Students will need to achieve a competency to practice assignment before they can start their placement
• Students will have to join a professional body such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or the National Counselling Society as student members and will be required to adhere to a recognised code of ethics. See the BACP or NCS website for current student membership fees.

Personal therapy:

• Students need to take part in a minimum of 25 hours personal therapy over the duration of the course. This needs to be with an experienced practitioner.